The Darkness Within Their Hearts
by ToMyDearestForsaken
Summary: Oneshot.  Merlin is trapped in Morgana's hovel, and within close proximity the darkness of their hearts may reveal itself.  Not much lemon, just lots of angst.


_Another angsty oneshot. I am now recently single, so I guess this is my way of venting. I wrote it in an hour I think. Let me know what you think!_

_Thanks! A.E. Warring_

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><p>Lips.<p>

That's what was most painful.

His lips. Cracked. Dry. He could taste the blood on the inside of his lips from his constant desperate attempt to moisten them.

Of course, his tongue was dry as a bone, so it did no good.

He had given up on his hands. His fingers were already numb and the tingling sensation had mercifully eased hours ago.

His shoulder blades were permanently cramped. He had given up on those also. His whole body was stiff and in a numb sense of pain.

Merlin was stuck.

He thought he was being courageous. Saving Arthur's life with the rock slide was a brilliant idea. If, of course, he hadn't been on the other side of it. And now…now he was realizing just how badly this was going to turn.

She sat there not saying a word. She was making a stew of some sort, with bits of the rabbit she had butchered right in front of his nose. It had been torture, watching her rip the poor thing to shreds, spilling the guts and innards on his bare feet. It had taken everything in his power not to look away. He had seen animals butchered before in his home town.

But never had he seen anyone do it while the creature was still alive.

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><p>Morgana could sense it. His fear. His hatred. Her plan was working. She didn't want his sympathy. She wanted him to squirm. She wanted to suck the strength from him, make him feel the torment she had felt…<p>

…the torment she had felt when her lover poisoned her.

She tried to push away the ache her black heart felt when she thought the word. _Lover._ Bah. He had never loved her. More like her fuck slave.

When he would come to her at night. Whisper those sweet words while he slid in and out of her writhing body, making her feel like a star in the night…_STOP!_

She shook her head, fighting the resurrection of something she had killed long ago…

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><p>Merlin saw it. The sudden twitch in her shoulders, the sadness in her eyes. She was remembering.<p>

She was still human after all.

He suddenly pulled on his binds, lifting her from her reverie. She glared at him. "Need something?"

"W-water…please."

She put on that smirk. That smirk he so despised and ached for at the same time. He remembered a time when just one little corner of that mouth would move and the whole Earth would drop from under his feet.

"And what will you do in return?" She walked around him, the small dagger she had used to torture the rabbit still in her hands. As she revolved, she brushed the blade along the exposed skin of his stomach, the small trail of hair leading to his manhood standing on end. "Or what could _I_ do…" She moved to stand before him, brushing one of his ears with the tip. "Maybe I could take off one of these giant ears of yours. Would that be worth a drop of water you think?"

Merlin didn't say a word. In all honesty, he would have gladly given his ears for just a taste of water. But he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of begging. Instead, he looked her in the eye. "Why?"

She blinked, suppressed the look of surprise. "Excuse me?" She pressed the blade at his throat. "Do you want to say that again?"

Merlin decided to give in. "Why Morgana? I…" he dropped off.

She pressed the blade deeper, drew blood. "You. WHAT," she said through clenched teeth.

He hissed. Closed his eyes. Gave in. "I…I loved you."

The slap that echoed through the room rang through his ears like the bells of Camelot. "You. Did. NOT!" He saw her pull her arm back. Knew it was the end.

But as he fell to the floor, he knew it was only going to get worse. He was thrown across the room by her power. His head hit the wall so hard he whited out, his vision coming back only after she had grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "You BASTARD. You never loved me. You would come, FUCK me, then leave. I was only a means for your COCK!" She kneed him. Hard. Then Morgana threw him to the bed.

"Don't you DARE lie to me. You poisoned me." He couldn't see her face, but he could hear the hiccup in her voice, knew the tears were there. "I was only doing what was good for my people, taking the revenge I needed to HELP. And YOU!" She picked him up again. "You said you understood. But you only spout lies to help your precious KING. You know nothing of love."

He muscled all the strength he had to lift his head, look her in the eye. They were nose to nose, and Merlin knew what he needed to do.

He crossed that bridge of space and meshed his lips to hers. She tried to pull away, but he had her bottom lip in his teeth. She couldn't get away. He was able to get his bound hands around her neck, pulled her down onto the bed with him.

He pinned her down, her arms were above her head, her breasts doing that thing he loved when she was breathless. They were heaving up and down within the confines of her dress, a beautiful shade of pink.

"You remember our first time?"

Morgana turned her head away, fighting not to remember. He whispered a spell to break his bonds, kept her pinned with one hand as he cupped her face with the other.

"It was too rough. We fought each other like animals…" he brushed a tangled lock out of her face, caressed a tear. "And when we were done, you pushed me away…"

In her minds eye, she could see it. See his lithe figure moving over her, taste the salt of sweat on his skin.

But she could also see her figure wiping the blood from the stone floor with the remains of her dress, burning it before Gwen could see what she had done.

She remembered returning to him that night, hoping to end what they had suddenly started.

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><p><em>Gaius was peacefully asleep on the cot as she tiptoed by, her nightgown floating about her like the ghost of her body. Merlin's door was up ahead, and she froze for a split second, hating herself for returning to the core of her restless night.<em>

_It was almost as if he had sensed it, because when she stopped, Merlin opened the door._

_She gasped. She was caught like a deer by a hunter. The wind did not blow. The crickets did not make a sound. Nothing moved._

_He made the first steps towards her, his shirtless frame wrapping his arms around her. He pressed his lips to hers, the passion from before gone and replaced with a sweet warmth that filled the empty darkness in their souls._

_She had forgiven him even before she had walked in the door._

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><p>And now she regretted that moment.<p>

"…get out."

Merlin did not move. Time had frozen again, reminding her of her mistake. The rage, the angry bitterness began to boil. "Get…OUT!"

Her power had returned. And Merlin was thrown from her before he could react. He was knocked out cold.

Morgana stood over his body. She had once loved him. She had once forgiven him for a terrible act that he had committed against her. But now…now she had the chance to seek revenge once again.

Not just against her brother…but against her once lover as well.


End file.
